Overview

Description by Nikon:

The 36.3 megapixel FX-format sensor and class-leading autofocus system deliver unprecedented levels of depth and detail in your photography. Full HD D-movie offers all the flexibility you need for broadcast quality video.

Strikes an ideal balance between sharpness and preventing the occurrence of false color and moiré for consistent performance

Ideal for:

All shooting situation

Photographers shooting RAW (NEF), JPG or TIFF images

Photographers who do not want to adjust their workflow (via software) to reduce the occurrence of moiré and false color

Slight increase in sharpness and resolution with increased occurrence of false color and moiré

Ideal for:

Studio, commercial and still life photographers who can control their shooting conditions, lens selection and aperture choice, as well as use of software (Capture NX2) to reduce the occurrence of false color and moiré

Medium format photographers whose current digital system do not utilize an optical low pass filter

Shooting RAW (NEF)

D800E filter array

D800 Vs D800E image comparison

Comparison of false color and moiré
With the D800E, false color and moiré may be noticeable when shooting repetitive and/or fine patterns.

Comparison of resolution
Compared to the D800, the D800E reproduces textures with slightly higher resolution for sharper rendering and greater depth.

Other than the very slight image quality differences described above, the D800 and D800E perform exactly the same. Focus speed, exposure metering, shooting speed, movie recording, accessory compatibility, control location and function, and all other aspects are identical.

Reviews

The new firmware adds support for the new AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR for both cameras, and several image and AF performance issues for the D800 are resolved. In D600 it also changes the HDMI frame output size from 95% to 100%

D800 firmware A: 1.01 / B:1.02 addresses the following issues:

Support for the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR has been added.

Subject tracking performance in AF-C (continuous-servo autofocus) autofocus mode with framing using the viewfinder has been improved.

Gamut for Adobe RGB images displayed in the camera's monitor has been changed. This enables more vivid display of images.

With live view photography in [M] (Manual) exposure mode, exposure preview was always on. This issue has been resolved.

In some very rare cases when certain memory cards were used, movie recording would stop, even when the time remaining display indicated remaining recording time. This issue has been resolved.

With shooting at an image quality setting of TIFF (RGB) and an image size setting of Small, the right edge of images contained a purple line. This issue has been resolved.

In some rare cases, images recorded in JPEG format could not be opened by some software applications. This issue has been resolved.

In some very rare cases, colors would change with shooting when white balance was set to a specific color temperature, as with Preset manual or Choose color temp. This issue has been resolved.

"Announced in 2012, the Nikon D800 is the current undisputed king of DxOMark, with results that eclipse every other camera from all other manufacturers. However, with so much resolution on tap, the question is, which lenses should you use to make the best of what you’ve got? The DxOMark labs have tested 61 different lenses on the D800 to bring you an unparalleled resource of which lenses are best and which should be avoided.

The reviewer, Theano Nikitas tested the D800 with the Nikkor 16-35mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm and 24-120mm lenses, with the latter struggling to meet the demands of the camera's sensor in the detail department.

"With its 36 megapixel sensor, sophisticated feature set and amazing image quality, the Nikon D800 offers a solid--and more affordable--alternative to photographers who crave medium-format files without stretching a budget to the breaking point. It's no speed demon with a continuous shooting speed of about 4fps but it's not designed that way. It's great for studio, portrait and product photographers, as well as landscape shooters who want the ultimate amount of information. Heed our warning, though. Be sure your computer and storage systems are up to the task of handling large files. This

"As we said at the outset, this review is more about the single difference between the D800 and D800E: the absence of a low-pass filter and its effects. It's clear from our analysis that both the D800 and D800E have moiré issues, but the D800E's is much more apparent and challenging to address. What we also found was that the D800E indeed captures more detail than the D800, making it uniquely suited to landscape photography, or scientific applications where moiré won't be an issue.

"Given its surprisingly-good image quality and comparatively low price, it seems that the Nikon D800/800E has taken away many of the advantages that the Pentax 645D held just a year and a half ago. The Nikon D800E lets professionals and enthusiasts alike enjoy extremely high-resolution photos without having to step up to a medium format camera.

Granted, you won't get the most out of your D800E without premium lenses and a sturdy tripod, but the fact that the D800E

"The frame-rate is really 4-5fps. I know what some reports say about having the battery grip can give you 6fps, but I don’t buy it. It doesn’t seem any quicker to me. Because of the massive RAW files, even Nikon’s capacious buffers fill up pretty quickly. However, I like this camera a lot as it takes a step back in some regards. With the D3s I am spoilt. I can be lazy and just fire away with a vague unengaged hope of bagging the right moment. But the D800E takes me back to my 1Ds mkII with its 5fps. I had to be careful. I had to be selective. I had to choose the moment. I think that made me a better

"Overall, the Nikon D800 is a gentlemanly camera, one that is true to all that its external appearance and demeanor promise. It is big and burly, with a solid feel appropriate of a professional tool. Its controls are excellent for the serious photographer, because almost all of the important aspects have a button or dial. Drive modes, ISO, White Balance, Quality, and Bracketing are all available on the top left, for example. Having to dig for these features in a menu is a trial

What's better than an iso train? Well, TWO iso trains, especially if they run in parallel and compare the noise quality of these two cameras. Let the civil war begin!:

"With both sets of images processed using the same RAW recipe, the crops from each camera below are unsurprisingly similar in style and to my eyes, preferable to the JPEG versions, at least at lower sensitivities. The RAW recipe described

"On the stills side, it was more complicated than I first expected. The advantages of the added resolution were obvious when shooting macro. It was possible to shoot tiny subjects from farther away, crop the resulting frame, and still end up with at least a 10 megapixel file. The images have far more depth of field then would be possible if shooting them at close range. On wide angle, it was a different story. Only the best optics, the best dome port, and perfect technique will suffice.

"I was pleased to see the performance of Nikon D800E. Despite the huge difference in a price, D800E was able to deliver the quality comparable to 5+ times more expensive Hasselblad. Great shadow and highlight recovery was actually a big surprise for me, considering 14 Bit small sensor vs 16 bit in Hassy (more bit depth means more colors and wider dynamic range).

Also, we need to keep in mind that it was not a true sensor-to-sensor performance test, as the glass was playing a big part of the resolution and details quality of the shots. Nikon had cheap, and most likely it would deliver even better

"Whole Lotta Pixels. One of the D800's pluses is also a minus for some. You need to be prepared for big files (17MB JPEG, 41MB NEF typically). You need plenty of RAM on your computer, and lots of storage (don't forget backups). You really have to ask yourself whether you need that many more pixels if you're not ready for multiple Terabyte drives."

Unfortunately we have to go by the reviewer's words for those claims, since the images chosen to showcase the optical performance and image quality of the D800E, are utterly worthless. 200x200 pixel pics for judging a 36 Mpixel camera? Yeah, right.

"On the resolution front, the Nikon D800 delivers images with a truly stunning amount of detail, comparable to what you can achieve with a number of medium-format digital cameras and backs. The 7360×4912-pixel photographs print to 24”x16” (60×40cm) size at industry-standard 300ppi with no interpolation required, which also means they are ideal

Here it is, the big one. The DP Review staff has gone great lenghts in order to produce this exhaustive review, in part because of the special requirements that come with using this monster 36mp sensor:

"Back to resolution though. Can the D800 make good on its pixel count and provide a level of fine detail that trumps its DSLR

Yes, this is the 'E' version of the D800, with the missing AA filter. Does it live up to Nikon's claims?:

"To process the Nikon D800 and D800E in Adobe Camera Raw, we opened them using ACR release candidate version 6.7 at its default settings, with the exception that we set sharpening to zero. (We like the results of unsharp masking in Photoshop better

There's been a lot of debate about the methodology and logic of DXO mark, but all serious debaters agree on the facts that is it meticoulosly carried out, and includes a fair bit of science. So, the score is Nikon D800, 95 points, Canon 5D Mark III, 81 points.

The difference is staggering to say the least, and the fact that the Nikon is a good $500 cheaper just adds salt to the wounds. Oh, and there's more troubling news:

"The Nikon D800 is the world's best DSLR for outdoor, nature landscape and many other kinds of photography. The D800 is the biggest news from Nikon since 2008 when they introduced their last all-new full-frame DSLR, the D700.

The Nikon D800 is the world's best because it has such extremely high image quality that it exceeds not just every

Nasim Mansuron is primarily a Nikon Shooter, so there may be a slight bias in this review, however, the numbers and the image samples speak their own language, and there's no doubt that the Nikon D800 is a landmark camera, by every measure:

"The Nikon D800 yields very impressive results at all ISO levels, even at boosted ISO 12,800 and 25,600. Given how little noise there is, I

"The D800's automatic ISO mode is inherited from the D4 and is improved over the same mode in earlier Nikon DSLRs. Previously, auto ISO customization was minimal, and consisted simply of an option to set the maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed when the camera

Ok, 'trashes' is a bit of an overstatement, but still, as opposed to Canon's careful product line placement, it looks like Nikon Genuinely produced a camera that will bite into the profit margins from the higher end's butt. Perhaps the only factor that stops a big percentage of pro photogs to go D800 only, is its abysmal fps rate:

Time for the first controlled light studio shoot of the D800 output by a major photography review site. The first and obvious remark is about the ridiculous amount of detail the camera delivers. It clearly is within medium format range, and without a hint of softness or other obvious blemishes. If the D800 is this good, i wonder what the D800E files will look like...

The second impressive thing is the ability of the camera to deliver god results at high iso, despite the very high pixel count.

No, Gary does not have all three cameras in his possession, he just pits their specs against each other. Surprisingly, this simple roundup is is enough to stir a discussion, and draw some interesting conclusions:

"The main issues that really kill image resolution are AF accuracy, camera shake and optical quality, and it is on the 1st 2 of these

First we got something titled 'Nikon D4 and D800 shootout' at NikonUser.info. Its more of a D4 user review, loaded with both cropped and full samples. As always, of special interest to us peepers are the 6.400 to 25.800 iso samples:

Both Canon and Nikon are heading to the same direction: The ultra high-iso domain is to be reserved for Pro models only (Canon 1D X, Nikon D4), but instead their 'entry level' full framers will be rewarded with pixel bliss.In Nikon's case, the D800/E has enough pro features trickled down to it that makes it a formidable opponent to whatever Canon will release as a replacement to the 5D mark II in the near future.

The D800/D800E is finally upon us. Most of the specs have been know beforehand, but still, some surprises managed to escape the leaky chorus. The cameras can already be pre-ordered at various places. (D800 and D800E preorder links at Amazon, D800E at B&H) We have included press releases from both Nikon UK and US.

Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 12 mm circle in center of frame. Diameter of circle can be changed to 8, 15, or 20 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (non-CPU lenses use 12-mm circle or average of entire frame).

Note: Photographs taken in movie live view have an aspect ratio of 16 : 9. A DX-based format is used for photographs taken using the DX (24 x 16) 1.5x image area; an FX-based format is used for all other photographs.

Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC Micro-NIKKOR lenses) and DX lenses (using DX 24 x 16 1.5x image area),
AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (exposure modes A and M only).
IX NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses can not be used.
The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster.

Compatible Lenses

A notice
Our vast database of lenses (currently standing at 600+ lenses) is currently being re-constructed.
Estimated finishing date is sometime in June/July 2012.
Bookmark us and check back again for the grand opening of the ultimate Lens database.
The Estiasis.com team